Keeping You Safe
by Don'tThinkAllDay
Summary: This was originally called Protecting You on Tumblr.


"Mr. Duval, might I ask you what is so funny?" Ms. Newman, the Algebra 2 teacher asked, whirling around when she heard Nick laughing. Nick's laughing stopped abruptly.

"No, nothing," He said quickly. When Ms. Newman turned around, Nick glanced over his shoulder to where Jeff was sitting all the way in the back of the row two over from where Nick was. Jeff just winked. Nick smirked and turned back around, looking back down at the phone in his lap.

_1 New Message From: Jeff _

_I wonder if Ms. Newman knows that her ass is shaped like Texas…._

_Probably the same size too._

Nick quickly typed something back as he stared at his math teacher. She was a 50 year old single woman who really did have a rather large behind.

_To: Jeff  
><em>

_You, my love, are an ass. _

It took Jeff three minutes to respond.

_From: Jeff  
><em>

_Yeah, but not as big as hers. _

Nick had to pretend to have a coughing fit to hide his laughter.

* * *

><p>When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of class as well as the end of the day, Nick took his time putting his books in his backpack. As he was putting them away, he felt a hand touch his waist. "'Sup beautiful?" Jeff asked as he kissed the side of Nick's head. Nick smiled and turned around, grabbing Jeff's hand and intertwining their fingers together as they walked out of the classroom and towards their dorm.<p>

"You know, you would've gotten in so much trouble if she took my phone." Nick said smirking at his boyfriend. Jeff shrugged.

"Seeing your reaction was worth it babe," Jeff said, fishing his key out of his pocket as they reached their door. When they got into the room Nick dropped his bag by his bed and wrapped his arms around Jeff's neck in a hug.

"I'm gunna miss you." He whispered into Jeff's neck. Jeff smiled fondly down at Nick and stroked his hair.

"I'm only gunna be gone two hours," Jeff said dropping a kiss to his boyfriends brown hair. Jeff was playing lacrosse with the Westerville league and the first practice of the season was that day. Nick backed up a little with his arms still wrapped around Jeff's neck and kissed him.

Jeff's hands went to Nick's waist as he responded to the kiss. Jeff reluctantly pushed Nick away after a while and kissed his nose. "I gotta go, don't wanna be late." He whispered, kissing Nick one more time before he grabbed his equipment from the closet and turned to leave.

"Be careful okay baby?" Nick asked. "I don't want you getting hurt." Jeff smiled and kissed Nick's cheek.

"I promise." Jeff said. "Now I _really_ gotta go! Bye, love you!" He called over his shoulder. Nick grinned and was turning around to get started on his homework, when the door opened again and Nick turned around. Suddenly Nick was pounced on by a ball of blonde energy. Before Nick could ask why he was still there, Jeff's lips were on top of Nick's. Before Nick could respond to _that,_ the blonde was already pulling away, smiling like an idiot.

"What was that for?" Nick asked laughing. Jeff shrugged.

"I dunno, I meant to take this off," he said motioning to the chain around his neck. "And I missed you so I decided to kiss you. Hope ya don't mind." Jeff said winking at his boyfriend as he unclipped the chain from around his neck and dropping it onto his dresser. "Okay now I'm leaving. I love you gorgeous bye!" Jeff said running out the door again. Nick just shook his head and laughed a little.

* * *

><p>When Jeff entered the locker room for his first lacrosse practice, he was pretty excited. He loved lacrosse growing up but Dalton didn't have a team, so when he found out that Westerville's team was letting kids outside of the public school system play, he signed up almost immediately. When the locker room door shut behind him and the other guys on the team turned to him, he froze. "Well, well, well," A tall dark haired muscular boy in the back of the group said stepping forward. "If it isn't Jeff Sterling. How ya doin' homo?" Jeff paled. It was Mark. He and his little posse (Jeff looked around the room and noticed that his posse was there too) was a big part of him transferring to Dalton. Jeff came out in seventh grade, and when he did Mark and his friends were there to harass him. There was name calling, shoving into lockers, lunches being dumped on Jeff, and relentless beatings. Once Jeff came home with black and blues for a month straight, his parents started getting suspicious.<p>

It wasn't until Nick called them from the back of an ambulance saying that Jeff and Nick were walking to get some ice cream when Mark and his group grabbed Jeff and started beating the living shit out of him. They held Nick back from helping his best friend, the only reason Nick wasn't being beaten to a pulp was because he was bi, and Mark and his friends called him _half normal_, but Nick was on the football team and had some defense moves up his sleeve. So he knocked the two goons holding him back to the ground, ran over, shoved the four guys that were on Jeff off of him and lifted Jeff up into his arms and ran back to their school so Nick could call an ambulance, did his parents decide that enough was enough. They pulled Jeff out of school for the last month of eighth grade and after being homeschooled, he got accepted into his father's alma mater, Dalton, which was where Jeff and Nick's dad's met and became best friends, so it was fate that the two of them would go to high school.

Jeff was snapped out of his reverie when Mark pushed him into the locker behind him. "If you think you're gunna fag up _my_ team. You have another thing coming." He said before stalking off towards the field, his friends following suit. Jeff groaned and grabbed his lacrosse stick and helmet before following them outside.

This isn't going to be as good as he thought.

When Jeff got back from practice, Nick was waiting up for him. "Hey baby," He said standing up to kiss Jeff quickly. "How was practice?" He asked. Jeff looked at his boyfriend. He _hated_ lying to Nick, but he also hated seeing him worried.

"Great! I feel like it's gunna be a great season!" Jeff said smiling at the brunette. Apparently the lie was believable, because Nick just grinned.

"That's great!" Nick said pulling Jeff close in a hug.

"Yeah," Jeff whispered. "Yeah it is."

* * *

><p>The next day, Nick was waiting up for Jeff again. He had another practice that night, but Nick was getting worried. Their practice should've ended a while ago, about an hour ago actually. He was reaching for his phone when the door opened. Jeff looked exhausted. "Hey babe," Nick said standing up to go greet him, but Jeff stepped backwards when he stepped forwards. "JJ, what's wrong?" Nick asked, using the nickname that Nick's been using since they were six. Jeff just shook his head.<p>

"Just, do-don't touch me okay?" Jeff asked, grabbing a towel from his drawer. "I'm-I'm gunna go shower." And with that, Jeff brushed past Nick to the bathroom on the other side of the room. While Nick was left alone in the room, thoughts were running through his head. All of which ended with Jeff leaving him. So when Jeff emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later, Nick glared up with him with teary eyes. "B-babe what's wrong?" Jeff asked looking worried. Nick shook his head.

"Is there someone else Jeff? Do you not want to be with me anymore? Just tell me if that's what's going on." Nick asked, the tears falling. Jeff's face melted into one of guilt.

"Baby, no, there's no one else okay?" he asked dropping to his knees in front of Nick, pulling him close and kissing his head. "There will _never_ be anybody else? Do you get that? You're it for me. I love you so goddamned much don't you get that? If I didn't why would you be wearing that right now?" Jeff asked grabbing Nick's hand and lifting it up to eye level. It was Jeff's claddagh ring. His family in Ireland sent it to him on his 16th birthday, and Jeff gave it to Nick on their 1 year anniversary, and when Jeff's grandpa passed _his_ claddagh ring to Jeff in his will. It didn't mean they were engaged or anything. It meant that Jeff wasn't planning on leaving Nick anytime soon.

"T-then why wouldn't you let me touch you earlier?" Nick hiccupped while Jeff wiped his tears away. Jeff sighed.

"I just have a couple bruises baby, I fell today. And they kinda hurt so I didn't know if you hugging me would be good, okay?" He asked, leaning forward and kissing Nick sweetly. "But there is no one else. I love you okay?" He asked. Nick nodded.

"Sorry baby, I kinda just got a little worked up." Nick said standing up "I love you too. But I gotta go shower too," Nick said standing up and walking into the bathroom. When the door shut behind him, Jeff sighed and lifted his shirt over his head. He was bruised, he really was, but it wasn't from falling. Unless you call being shoved into a locker and being punched in the stomach as falling.

As he looked at the bruises, the memories of what they were saying came back to haunt him.

_Fag, homo, queer, worthless piece of shit. _

Jeff felt tears fall down his face, he thought that he had escaped all this, but he was wrong.

He didn't know what he was going to do.

* * *

><p>The next day was Warbler rehearsal. They were halfway through their warm up when the doors to Warbler Hall burst open and Jeff walked in. "Wes, Thad, David, you don't know how sorry I am. Lacrosse it went longer than usual." Jeff said. No one was paying attention to what Jeff was saying however, because they were all focused on the giant bruise that was covering a lot of his right cheek.<p>

"Jeff, what the hell happened to your face?" Blaine asked. Jeff touched the bruise and shook his head.

"No-no-nothing!" He stuttered. "I got hit in the face that's all!" Jeff said as he started to walk to where Nick was sitting. Everyone noticed that he was limping a little bit, but Jeff wouldn't bring it up, so they dropped it.

* * *

><p>Jeff went back to practice the following Monday, a little more worried than before. He could barely walk over the weekend because of the bruises all over his body, so he went to his dad. When he told his dad what was going on, he was furious and went straight to the coach, who coincidentally had <em>no idea<em> that about nineteen kids were ganging up on Jeff just because he was gay. But the coach said he would talk to the others.

Jeff should've known that he should've just quit the team.

When he walked into the room, it was completely silent. He stood awkwardly by his locker and waited.

"Didn't know fags were tattle tales too," Mark started. Jeff looked down at the ground. "You almost got us all suspended for the first game." Mark continued, standing up and making his way to Jeff. Jeff started backing up, until he was against the wall behind him. "You happy?" He asked, he was chest to chest with Jeff by now. Jeff open and closed his mouth, unable to be form words. Mark wasn't pleased. He grabbed the front of Jeff's shirt and basically threw him into the rest of the people on the team, who held him by his arms as Mark's fist drew back and then connected with his face.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Jeff wasn't thinking straight at that moment, but he was sure that every guy on the team had punched him at least three times until he was curled in the fetal position on the ground, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth and his nose. Then Mark bent down so he was looking at Jeff in the face. "You had enough yet?" He spat. Jeff didn't respond, maybe if he didn't respond he'd go away.

He was wrong. Mark took the silence as a 'no beat me more please', so he stood up straight and kicked Jeff in the stomach. The kick was _hard_, it sent Jeff sliding a few inches until his whole body, or mostly his head, ricocheted off the bottom row of lockers. Jeff's head started to spin and he couldn't see straight. But he did see Mark come back and kick him _again_. As Jeff's head hit the lockers again, everything started going out of focus.

The last thing he remembered was yelling, and a man's voice demanding someone call an ambulance.

* * *

><p>Nick and the rest of the Warblers were waiting in Warbler Hall. They had texted Jeff a half hour ago asking where he was. His practice had to have ended about an hour and a half ago. Nick was pacing. He had tried calling Jeff three times, and they went to voicemail all three. He was starting to panic when Blaine piped up. "You never know Nick," he said to his pacing friend. "His phone might've died." Nick shook his head.<p>

"No, he charges it every night, it _never_ dies." He said just as his phone rang. He dived for it and didn't even check the caller ID. "JJ Baby? Where are you, Love?" There was a moment of silence while the person on the other line talked. The other Warblers could tell it was bad because Nick's face paled.

"Wh-wh-what?" He stuttered. Then he nodded "o-okay, we'll b-be there as soon as possible. Thank you." Nick had barely hung up the phone before he fell onto a couch sobbing. Blaine was by his side in a second.

"What's going on Nick?" He asked. Nick looked up at the soloist.

"J-Jeff's in the emergency room."

* * *

><p>Blaine had never driven his car that fast before in his life. He didn't even bother trying to get a parking space, he pulled right up to the door to the ER and let Nick, Wes and David who tagged along for support get out of the car before he went to park it. Nick ran into the hospital and saw Jeff's parents. Jeff's mom ran over and hugged Nick tightly. "What happened?" Wes asked Mr. Sterling, who had followed his wife over to the Dalton students.<p>

"Jeff's been beaten up at every lacrosse practice he's had. Today was brutal because we went to the coach about it." Nick stared at his boyfriend's father.

"H-h-he never said anything about being beat up." Nick said tears still falling. Mr. Sterling patted Nick's shoulder.

"He didn't want to worry you. Those were actually his exact words when he came to talk to me. _Don't tell Nick, he's stressed out enough_." Nick laughed a little at how caring Jeff was, but then the doctor came out of a hallway.

"Sterling family?" Nick and Jeff's parents turned. "You can come see him." Jeff's parents nodded but Nick held back.

"I-I uh," He stuttered. He wasn't a blood relative of Jeff's, but the doctor smiled at him.

"Are you the Nick that Jeff keeps mumbling about in his sleep?" Nick blushed, but nodded. "Then you can come with us." The doctor said leading the three of them down a hall to a closed door. He opened the door and let the three visitors in.

Nick's eyes filled with tears again.

Jeff, lying on a hospital bed unconscious, looking so weak and broken broke Nick's heart. Nick quickly grabbed a plastic chair from the corner and sat by Jeff's side. "Hey baby," Nick whispered. "It's me," He continued reaching forward and brushing hair out of Jeff's face. "Why didn't you tell me?" Nick asked kissing Jeff's knuckles. "Love, why didn't you tell me what they were doing to you? I would've protected you." Nick didn't notice Jeff's parents slip out of the room until the door shut. That's when Nick let the tears fall. "Baby, you don't know how much I love you. I need you to be okay. Please? See look, I'm still wearing your ring. You told me the ring meant that you wouldn't leave me anytime soon. So please baby, stay with me." He said, closing his eyes to keep the rest of the tears at bay.

He didn't notice the hand that was interlocked with Nick's was shifting to lace their fingers together until he felt pressure on his hand. He looked up to see Jeff's beautiful brown eyes looking into Nick's as he kissed Nick's hand.

"I'm not dead baby, they didn't kill me." Jeff said, before Nick leaned forward and covered Jeff's mouth with his own.

"You're okay," Nick whispered when they broke apart. Jeff looked at the brunette.

"Yeah if okay is a mild concussion, a broken nose and bruises covering every inch of my body. Then I'm peachy." Nick looked at Jeff seriously.

"Why didn't you tell me you were being bullied again?" He asked. Jeff looked away.

"I was ashamed Nick. I wanna be able to take care of myself you know?" He said to the wall. Nick turned his chin with his index finger.

"Hey gorgeous? I'm your boyfriend. It's my job to protect you from goons like- babe who _was_ on the team?" Jeff bit his lip.

"Mark," was all he said. Nick stared at Jeff in shock.

"Oh, JJ. Sweetheart you should've come to me when you found out." Nick said stroking Jeff's cheek.

"And what? Get you beat up too? Oh no Nick. Not happening. I love you _way_ too much to put you through that pain." Jeff said leaning forward and kissing Nick again. As their lips moved together, Nick came up with a plan. When they pulled away, Jeff looked worried at the smug expression on Nick's face. "Oh god, what are you planning in that brain of yours?" Nick just shook his head.

"You'll see sweetheart." Nick said before kissing Jeff's head.

Jeff was released from the hospital a few days later. His concussion wasn't _terrible_ but he had to lay off the dancing and singing for a while, so under instruction by his doctor, parents and over protective boyfriend, he was only allowed to _sit_ at Warbler rehearsals. As for lacrosse, Jeff quit the team. He wasn't going to be a punching bag for a bunch of homophobes (Jeff's exact words). Nick and Blaine volunteered to go get Jeff's stuff, so he wouldn't have to face the team, so Jeff agreed.

However, when he got back to Dalton that night, he was greeted with the image of his boyfriend holding a pack of ice to his head. "Baby," Jeff whispered, speeding over to where Nick was sitting. "Did they-?" Nick shook his head.

"Nah, Blaine and I brought a few friends from the football team to 'chat' with that team of yours…let's just say there was less chatting, more hitting. I just got caught in the cross fire. It's nothing major concussion boy." Nick said planting a kiss onto Jeff's forehead. Jeff sighed.

"Why was it necessary to bring the football team?" Jeff asked. Nick just looked at his boyfriend in awe. He snaked an arm around Jeff's waist and pulled him close.

"Because, those boys need to know you're my boyfriend. And _no one_ messes with Jeff Sterling as long as I'm around." Nick said leaning backwards so they were laying on the bed together. Jeff laughed.

"I adore you, have I ever told you that?" He asked before kissing Nick tenderly. Nick smiled.

"Yeah, I love you too." Nick said as Jeff rested his head on Nick's chest and closed his eyes.

"Thank you for protecting me," Jeff muttered, kissing Nick's t shirt clad chest. Nick smiled down at the blonde.

"I always will baby." Nick said "I always will."


End file.
